College Seeks To Open Flight School

April 4, 1985|By Bob Kowalski, Staff Writer

BOCA RATON — The College of Boca Raton, unsuccessful in its efforts to build a hotel and flight training center at the Boca Raton Airport, is negotiating to operate a flight school on the airfield, a college official said Wednesday.

The college hopes to lease one of two flight schools planned for the airport and operate it as a training facility for aviation management students, said James Matthews, vice president and dean of academic affairs at the college.

``It`s a good recruiting device,`` Matthews said after presenting his proposal to the Airport Authority. ``Many schools that have their own aviation management programs do operate their own schools.``

Matthews said he hoped the college would secure a lease with a flight school on the airfield by the time the next academic session begins in September.

The firm Boca Aviation Inc. owns and operates the existing flight school on the airfield.

And the firm PDQ of Boca Raton, Inc. has proposed including a second flight school as part of a $6.8 million airplane maintenance and storage complex it is building on the southern end of the airport.

Matthews said he is negotiating with both firms.

``If all goes well, I`ll see you at the airport right after Labor Day,`` he said.

The college first had proposed building a training facility for students at the airport in December l983.

That proposed project was to cost as much as $6 million to construct. It would have included a 180-room hotel for hotel management training, a restaurant, classrooms, and corporate aircraft hangars for aviation training.

But the college dropped that plan after learning the cost of leasing the 10 acres of land needed for the project would be too high, Matthews said Wednesday.

Members of the Airport Authority said they would support the college`s current plan to lease a flight training school on the airfield.

``I think it`s an excellent idea. I encourage it,`` said authority member George Blank.